The best mid-range phone you can’t buy

With the LG phone business death, OnePlus’ repeated price hikes and HTC’s demise, finding a mid-range phone in the US that packs impressive specs for the price just isn’t as easy as it used to be, which makes the launch of the Xiaomi 11T even more disappointing.

Starting at just 500 euros, the Xiaomi 11T packs a MediaTek Dimensity 1200 Ultra processor, 8 GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, a large 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of 120 Hz (not to mention a touch sampling rate of 480 Hz), triple rear cameras and a large 5,000 mAh battery. Right off the bat, that ticks the box for many flagship-level specs, with the only major omissions being the lack of wireless charging and a microSD card slot (which has also become an increasingly rare feature).

But although he had promised for years that he would explore selling phones in the United States (and was recently pulled from one of the United States blacklists), Xiaomi has not yet done so. And while I’ve only had a short time to check out the 11T so far, it seems like great value for money compared to the selection of other $ 500 phones available in the US.

The 11T is the middle child of Xiaomi’s new 11-series lineup. It’s cheaper than the more expensive 11T Pro at 650 euros and a bit more premium than the 379-euro 11 Lite 5G, and there are obvious tradeoffs when it comes to its design. For example, IInstead of glass on the back you get a glossy polycarbonate similar to Samsung A52 5G, which suits me perfectly. There is also no dedicated 3.5mm audio jack and no official rating for water resistance, which are two features. you would like to see on a midrange phone.

VScompared to a similarly priced phone like the 2021 Moto Edge, the Xiaomi 11T is competitive, with a high-resolution 108 MP main camera, a Ultra-wide 8 MP camera and a third 5 MP camera that can capture both macro photos and telephoto photos via 2x zoom. Xiaomi didn’t have to sacrifice zoom capabilities like Moto, and when you factor in that the Moto Edge costs $ 700 without its initial limited-time promotional discount, it looks like the 11T is a better deal.. The 11T even comes with a fairly fast 67-watt wired charging, which blows pretty much anything you can get from a comparable US $ 500 phone out of the water.

And while I maintain that Google The Pixel 5a is the best mid-range phone for people in USA because of its software, excellent camera quality and regular use of Google feature drops and updates, the Pixel 5a The somewhat dated Snapdragon 765G chip and only 6GB of RAM is a clear indication that the Xiaomi 11T he beat in the specification and performance departments.

NOToh that Xiaomi has exceeded Huawei as the largest smartphone maker in China (while overtaking Apple for No. 2 place in the world ranking), it seems the time has finally come for Xiaomi to start selling its handsets in North America. LG and others have left a gap in the smartphone space, and it feels like the world’s second largest phone maker is missing out on a market that desperately needs more competition.

Maybe one day. UUntil then, we Americans will just have to appreciate Xiaomi’s mix of value and performance from afar and wonder what could have been when the 11T goes on sale later this month.